Pine Lake by Red Deer

In early July, I stopped at Pine Lake, which is about 30km SE of Red Deer on my way from Calgary back to Edmonton. The easiest access is on the NW corner through the Taunton Day Use Area.

The day-use area has a beach, a pier, a cement launch, pit toilets, and a picnic shelter and tables.

The water was clear the day I was there, with a small rim of loose weeds washed up on the shore. The bottom was sandy, although this turns to weeds as you get out into the lake. Reviews suggested the lake is prone to algae blooms in summer.

The lake runs SE to NW and is about 9km long and maybe 1km across at its widest.

The shoreline is a mix of private homes and undeveloped land.

I paddled the northern basin and then down the western shore about 3km before getting out into the wind and being blown back north.

The shoreline was pretty gentle but was lined with thistle, nettle, and wild roses so you'd have to look around a bit for a decent spot to get out.

Overall, this was a nice enough paddle. I'm not sure I'd go back any time soon. I suspect the lake would have a lot of wake-boat traffic on a warm summer weekend.